Eileen Lahi, travel and fashion influencer
Instagram has become a platform for people to share their passions and their lives with followers, turning hobbies into careers. Q Life interviewed Eileen Lahi, Qatar’s Influencer of the Year in 2018, to reflect on how she gained over 450,000 followers, and what she enjoys most about living in Doha and her career.
How did you become an influencer?
I feel as if I grew with the platform and the industry as it was still finding its way. When I started my Instagram profile, it was just a platform to share photos here and there. Not in my wildest imagination did I think that this could ever become my job! But now that it has, I love and appreciate it with all my heart.
What brought you to Qatar?
Before social media became my full-time job, I worked as an English teacher. I applied to jobs all around the world, and got a good offer here in Doha. I quickly fell in love with Qatar and I continuously feel blessed to call this place my home.
I witnessed a lot of my ‘firsts’ over here; first full-time job, first driving license, first time living on my own. Life here taught me so much about independence, growth and perseverance. I love that I am accepted for who I am, that every day I get to meet people from across the globe, and that the sun always shines.
What is the influencer community in Doha like?
It can be hard as an expat who has just arrived to make new friends, but this was a great way to meet new people. There are a lot of people here in the blogger and influencer community. Attending events is sometimes like a quick catch-up session with friends, because you’ll almost always see a lot of the same faces!
Do you see yourself staying in the industry in the future?
I don’t see a reason to ever give up what I have now! I love sharing and creating and connecting. Even if different career opportunities were to come my way, I would always love to keep my online community close to me.
How have you been keeping busy during lockdown?
I’ve potted, planted, painted, organised, redecorated, and started new workout programs. It’s been a long time since I had the time to just explore my creative side and learn new things. I’ve particularly enjoyed ‘planting up’ my home, as well as getting more into home decor.
Do you have any advice for those who want to learn from your inspirational positivity?
In times of hardship and trial, my strength has two sources: my faith, and my husband. Of course, I have days where I hurt and cry. Everybody does. We are all human. But I find comfort in prayer and knowing that God does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear.
For Denise Lozada, running a cookie business was not something she initially envisioned as part of her career plan. Having recently left her position at an engineering company, she took to baking as a form of stress relief. Although she had a renowned talent for cookie decoration, it was something that she initially did only for herself, or more accurately, for her family and friends.
“I made so many cookies that my son and husband couldn’t eat anymore, so I gave all the cookies I decorated to friends. I created an Instagram page to document my progress and then people started asking if I was taking orders,” Denise recalls. At first she was hesitant, as she didn’t want it to become her full-time job, “but inquiries kept coming and coming”. Eventually her business was established “by accident.”
With intricate and colourful designs, it’s not hard to see why Denise’s cookies have become so popular. While she sees her cooking as “mediocre”, as soon as experiments with icing began, “it was the start of an addiction I never saw coming.” Some artists use pencils, paints and watercolours for their pieces, but for Denise, “dough and icing became my medium.”
Denise’s creations now enjoy a sizable online fanbase, with the Cookie Project having close to 7,000 Instagram followers. People are drawn to the page for the “pretty cookies and satisfying videos”, and of course the famous cookie “calming effect.” Denise is passionate about creating digital content, partly because it allows her to share her work with her customers, but “also with those who just want to watch how (elaborately decorated) cookies are made.”
The pure joy etched across the faces of those who receive her cookies is one of Denise’s favourite elements of the business. She notes that COVID-19 has proved difficult, in part, because she has been “missing the hugs and kisses when I bring their cookies and see their faces glow with delight.” But Cookie Project has adapted well to the new regulations, and Denise has continued to relish her role as an entrepreneur.
“To be able to do this hobby and have people pay for it is the highest high as a solopreneur cookie artist. Is it a cookie? Is it art? I simply say that it’s art you can eat.”
Plush Events and Design is a Qatari-based business that finds its inspiration in family. Its founder, Hend Al Subaey, credits those nearest to her for the company’s success: “Growing up, I watched my mum host and plan family gatherings. I was always exposed to that and enjoyed seeing her do it. Later in life I found myself doing the same with family and friends, hosting game nights, birthdays and special occasions.”
After several successful evenings and events, Hend “discovered that I have passion for event planning and making my guests’ experiences memorable and unique, so with the support of my family and friends I founded Plush in 2013.”
Her strong community proved crucial in providing her the support she needed, but her business nous also helped the company make a name for itself. Its arrival on the event planning scene in Doha was timed perfectly. In 2013, the majority of event planning businesses were focused on larger-scale events, and intimacy was missing in the local market. Hend identified a gap in the market and focused on birthday parties, baby showers and bridal showers as the company looked to grow.
Resourcing these new events was difficult due to the novel character of Plush’s events but the “challenges that we faced shaped the way we do business today, we have learned a lot and continue to grow”. However, little did Hend know that another challenge of a different nature was around the corner…
As the Coronavirus crisis imposed restrictions on in-person events, Plush took its creativity to another level. Their solution? Party in a box. To entertain their households for a special occasion, clients “choose a theme for their home gathering and have all the items they require boxed up for them, with clear instructions to allow for easy set-up by themselves, and without the need for us to be there.”
Plush also used the opportunity to take their services online and present the “highly anticipated annual Ramadan market” on a digital platform. Moreover, they have leveraged their online store, showcasing and selling their favourite items that they’ve personally selected in Qatar and across the world. Their ethos and approach to their business is self-evident: “We believe in giving back and supporting local businesses by showcasing their products in both our annual market on social media”.
They are also excited to share knowledge and experience with the next generation: “We had interns working with us over the past years and it’s something we always look forward to. It is important to open ourselves to local talent, hear from them and help them learn from our experiences.” With her experience and desire to share this with her community, Hend exemplifies the importance of entrepreneurs as role-models and mentors for those seeking to accomplish their own dreams, one event at a time.
With her Korean-inspired skincare brand Pida Beauty, MinKyung Kang has taken Doha’s beauty and wellness scene by storm. The CMUQ graduate, influencer and entrepreneur had struggled with her skin and self-esteem during her time at university. This was until she truly discovered the world of Korean skincare, and subsequently the answer to her problems.
After graduating from university and while working at the Qatari Embassy in Korea, MinKyung began her research into the products behind Pida Beauty. She felt passionate about bringing the most advanced and popular products to Doha from her country of birth. “Even though these products are best sellers in Korea, they were new to the market here, so I had to be very confident and very persistent with my idea and vision.”
MinKyung moved backed to Qatar in 2019 and brought Pida Beauty to life, describing what distinguishes her product in the competitive Doha market: “Korean skincare companies have a very particular approach to their products. They prefer to produce gentle, scientifically-based products that are essential to the long-term health of our skin. They heavily invest in research and development and don’t shy away from experimenting with new ingredients such as eggplant, rice and ginseng, putting them 10-15 years ahead in skincare.”
Innovation is at the heart of the brand, and Pida Beauty has leveraged digital marketing and Instagram to develop a large profile and exciting online platform, as well as providing valuable skincare advice to their loyal customers.
Ultimately, Pida Beauty has changed the skin and the lives of so many in Qatar. MinKyung explains that “what brings me the most joy and fulfillment are the reviews and the before and after pictures that our community sends us. Some even tell us that they have gained so much confidence, they are now able to go out without having to put makeup on. The feeling is indescribable, being able to affect a person’s life for the better and give them confidence in their own skin.”
MinKyung has many goals for herself and the future of her brand: “I want to be able to offer to our community higher quality services and products. We want to be the biggest health and beauty company in the MENA region. That way we would be able to handle more social responsibility projects, social development activities and give back to our community.”
Torba Farmers Market
Before the Coronavirus pandemic, Torba Farmers Market was a destination for Qataris and expats alike, rubbing shoulders and catching up over organic tea, cold-pressed juices and the finest gluten-free brownies. However, like many other businesses and platforms during the Coronavirus pandemic, “restrictions curtailed our outdoor market season and accelerated our online store launch plans”.
Torba took inspiration from several other businesses, that were “coming online, offering home delivery of fresh food and other products. It told us that we were doing the right thing by going online and we just had to trust that our community wanted to come there with us”.
Thanks to this digital transformation, even when restrictions were at their height, Torba was still able to bring farm to table. As people’s attention focused on their more immediate surroundings, Torba also discovered that they were able to raise “awareness of the importance of buying local, minimising our impact on the environment, promoting reusables, and spreading our sustainability message. These ideas form the basis of what Torba is and are key for building our audience.”
The online platform had an additional benefit, it enabled the once seasonal market to be available year-round. This transformation was not to be taken lightly however, and Torba knew they needed to remain distinct and unique. Thanks to an acute awareness of what makes the market special, Torba “remains a niche brand and that is one of the most attractive things about Torba: we are not mainstream. We are local, down-to-earth, under-the-radar, and that translates into being more authentic, more connected, more approachable and more real.”
Following this successful transformation, Q Life were interested in just how Torba was going to continue to grow and support budding entrepreneurs in Qatar. Among the wholesome food and drink offering, it’s easy to forget that Torba is not only a location, concept and lifestyle, but they also serve as mentors.
“Often, we find we are acting as consultants and are helping to shape the direction of new businesses that we come across, like and see as having good potential. Sometimes, it’s because we see that the owner has the passion and drive, as well as the openness to try new things. We’ve seen Qatari businesses that first started selling products at the market go on and create their own shops and do really well.” Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Torba wants to continue to expand its presence in the local market and support other budding entrepreneurs.
If that wasn’t enough, the market is “also looking forward to the development” of their Torba farm. The goal is for the farm to be “built with a number of eco-friendly below-ground greenhouses from surrounding rocks and clay, to allow for year-round growing. We’ll be planting our usual seasonal crops in August, but we’ll also be bringing in a few new heirloom varieties.” The farm’s ultimate ambition is to support a year-round physical market, an additional location to sell further produce, and more vendors than ever.
It’s clear for all to see that the future is fresh, green and farm-based!
Layla Al Dorani, Raw ME founder
Layla Al Dorani is a strong and passionate advocate for holistic health, an approach that believes everything is connected; mind, body and spirit as a one.
As someone who struggled with their own weight from a young age, Layla’s commitment to improving her own well-being, as well as that of Qatar’s citizens, evolved early on. Layla quickly realised she needed to combat the lack of awareness and stigma around plant-based nutrition, and this desire became the driving force behind her company, Raw ME, founded in 2010.
“Fast forward 10 years, Raw ME currently employs over fifty employees and operates in a 2,200 square metre production facility at Jahiz 2 factory #4. It is serving countless plant-based food and beverage options throughout Qatar every day through a variety of channels.”
Innovation has been key to this rapid development. Raw ME is well-known for its cold pressed juices, a pioneering process whereby the fruits and vegetables’ nutrients are preserved and protected as no heat is involved. “We were the first in the country to bring this type of equipment and to bottle green vegetable juice for retail.”
In 2014, at the age of 30, Layla was recognised as one of Forbes Middle East’s top 200 most Powerful Arab Women, ranking 82nd in the region, and fifth in Qatar. “Recognition like this empowers me as an Arab woman to break through the stereotypes, boundaries and expectations that society has around working in an industrial area, at a factory, succeeding in a business operated mostly by men.”
Layla has managed to develop her expertise while also working full-time at Sidra Medicine. When we asked for her secret, she explained that: “I practice good time management. I work on the weekends and after hours. I also have dedicated hours I set aside for socialising and spending time with family. I’m aware my career choices come at a cost, but you have to be willing to make sacrifices to support your family and your mission.”
“I am a perfect example of how you are able to do it all, raising a family, working full-time, having your own business, and developing skills through education and experience. That itself is empowering to know that women can go above and beyond the expectations of society and truly be able to live their best lives, doing what they want to do and not having to limit themselves.”
After completing an Executive MBA degree, gaining a plant-based nutrition certification from Cornell University, completing a 500-hour yoga teacher training program and launching another brand under Raw Me for children (named “Fruity Friends”), it’s clear that Layla will continue to inspire.
“I am a lifelong learner. Personally, I would like to focus more on teaching yoga and plant-based nutrition. I also want to continue improving my sustainable practices at home with the family. Professionally, I am looking to grow in my career, continuing to increase our offering of Qatari-made plant-based products in the retail market, and eventually franchise the brands internationally.”
Afshan Sayed, Go Nuts Qatar founder
“For myself, my hopes and dreams are to be one of the voices of a form of wellness focused on a responsible lifestyle, as well as healthy eating. I want to inspire and energise women into entrepreneurship.”
An entrepreneur, blogger, wife, mother of four and member of Qatar’s community for over 35 years, Afshan Sayed shares her entrepreneurial journey with Q Life, exploring both her successes and the challenges faced.
Afshan’s initial idea for Go Nuts began in 2015: “I wanted my family to eat well as a first step towards a healthier lifestyle. As I researched foods that younger children tend to enjoy, I learnt that popular hazelnut and chocolate spreads were high in palm oil and sugar.” With that in mind, Afshan quickly understood that if she could create and develop her own healthy nut butters, she could solve two problems with one solution.
Afshan sells her products at Torba Farmers Market and describes how her business went “from small batches made for friends and family to a formal business” thanks to Torba’s platform. Today, Afshan stands tall with her thriving business, having seen it grow from a passion project, to a business she is proud to call her own.
Like any entrepreneur, Afshan faced challenges when starting her business. These included the sourcing of the raw materials and packaging, which she now reflects on as “learning opportunities looking back”. Having overcome the initial hurdles, she can confidently describe her desire for her brand to be a “Proudly Made in Qatar” option when people want nut butter, affirming her ambitions to “grow the brand without diluting the quality, freshness or goodness.”
Thanks to Torba’s new online market, Go Nuts has continued to thrive during lockdown and provide for the customers that rely on her healthy alternatives. It quickly became clear that this has allowed Afhsan to pursue one of her strongest urges, that of serving others.
Afshan’s community drive is typified by The Halal Lifestyle blog to share her tips and tricks on all aspects of life, from parenting to healthy foods and recipes. With both her brand and blog, it’s clear just how much Afshan gives and cares for those around her: “I am by nature a curious person and a community builder, I love experiencing new things and sharing these with friends and family.”
From business building to blogging, Afshan proves that with a creative concept, commitment to a cause, and a burning desire to be a force for good in your community, anything is possible.
Muna Al Bader’s work carries deep-rooted messages, taking inspiration from both traditional and non-traditional art and seeking to connect with cultures on a global scale. “My art is exceptionally inclusive. My vision for art is as a medium for emotional communication.”
Her sense of togetherness and connection only grew as it became clear that Coronavirus would affect every country across the globe. Although initially Muna felt “overwhelmed, and isolation brought fear”, she quickly rallied for both herself and her community.
Muna mobilised on social media, creating an online art movement under the hashtag #corona_art and inspiring others towards creativity. She matched her online energy in the real word too, joining Qatar Red Crescent Society and supporting those in areas which had been quarantined as part of health and safety precautions. This wasn’t all, and Muna also worked to produced short, engaging awareness films on how to stay safe and protect yourself and others.
After the success of her hashtag and society’s unified response following the Coronavirus pandemic, Muna realised the power of bringing the creative community together. Using her technical skills as an engineer and creativity as an art curator, she established an online exhibition herself, and is now working with Katara to create further virtual exhibitions. Whatever she puts her mind to, her desire to help others shines through: “Although it’s a tough period, I always try to build hope and help others to look towards a bright future after Coronavirus.”
She’s achieved so much over this short period of time it’s worth remembering that before Coronavirus, Muna was already an established member of the Doha art scene. She describes her experience at Doha Fire Station’s residency programme as a seminal time in her artistic career: “I was so happy to be accepted onto the programme. Doha Fire Station taught me how to start using search processes and look for different sources of material through experimentation.”
Her early success meant that Muna was also nominated as Qatar’s Art Ambassador in 2019, before participating in a UNESCO discussion on “Resiliart” only last week. “Being an ambassador for my country is such an honour, and I’m working to contribute to the vision of Qatar and Her Highness Sheikha Al Mayassa in the field of art.” It’s clear that, both domestically and internationally, Muna is looking to use her art for good.
As she’s shown already, Muna will be leveraging the power of digital to foster and build her artistic community. “The art world is in your hands no matter where you are,” and the eyes of Qatar’s entire community are on what her hands can create next.
Sara Al Buainain does not practice art in the traditional sense, whether that’s focusing on a specific concept or motif. Her works are instead rooted in “transition”, exploring themes of belonging, identity and cultural representations. For Sara, digital art was “the best medium through which to transform my thought process into artwork”.
Her latest exhibition, “The Quarantine Diaries”, could be viewed in the prestigious Al Markhiya Gallery, where her pop culture pieces represented her personal experience of a global crisis. Channelling her confusion during a period that challenged everybody, her creative depiction of herself, friends and family proved to be a crucial outlet. Sara affirms that her pieces were inspired by “my daily experiences and encounters with the people surrounding me and how they dealt with the pandemic.”
“I started documenting my journey of this pandemic through digital illustrations that reflect the crisis in a contemporary and almost enjoyable style, by incorporating bright colours in contrast to the grey background which is a constant in all of the illustrations. My artworks have always reflected negative cultural issues with a positive outlook by using bright colours and an easily relatable style of drawing.”
Sara’s perseverance, drive and attitude shone throughout the toughest of times, culminating in the fantastic exhibition. She believes her artwork can encourage similar strength and positivity in others: “I decided to turn [my struggles] into a positive thing and use my artworks to help make it easier not only for myself, but also for my online platform and the people that follow my artwork.” She hopes “they can relate and feel comforted by my pieces”.
Her favourite work from the exhibition? “It’s The New Look is a very special piece to me as it depicts a self-portrait of myself facing opposite sides, one is wearing a mask and one isn’t.” It’s difficult to symbolise how life has changed any better.
A part of the ever-important local artistic community, Sara hopes to see an even greater “variety of local art venues that approach upcoming and emerging artists, and further opportunities for young Qatari artists”. We can’t wait to see what her journey inspires her to create next.
Al Markhiya Gallery has a crucial mission: The promotion of Arab art. Following several engrossing exhibitions, Q Life was determined to find out more about this rapidly expanding gallery and how it responded to the challenges provided by the Coronavirus pandemic.
What inspired the establishment of Al Markhiya Gallery in 2008?
We had a vision and saw the need to promote Arab art both locally and globally through the development of a regional gallery, helping local artwork to reach an international network of museums, galleries and collectors. It is our mission to offer established and emerging artists valuable avenues of exposure to support them in the enrichment of their artistic practice.
As of 2017, you now have two locations, Doha Fire Station and Katara Art Center. How has this contributed to your development and do your exhibitions change based on locations?
At Al Markhiya we represent and exhibit a distinctive group of artists in Qatar, the region and throughout the world. We use our exhibition spaces in two different ways; at Katara Art Center we curate and exhibit group shows, focusing specifically on artists residing in Qatar. At our Fire Station location, we focus more on Arab artists living both in Qatar and the wider Arab region.
In your opinion, what makes Arab artists so special and what enables them to stand out from other artists around the world?
The Arab world has a unique sensitivity to the harmony of nature and its place within the wider world, both visually and through our language. As a culture, we have our own viewpoint on current events and vision for the future. Many Arab artists draw from these inspirations, reflecting on our special heritage through their visual arts practice.
You describe your new “2030 (Part One)” exhibition as a contribution to the development of a ‘new visual movement’, could you explain this in more detail?
Our new exhibition provides an inclusive meeting place for people to come together under the umbrella of arts and culture to discuss the future vison for Qatar. The idea of a ‘new visual movement’ is the resulting community that we hope will emerge from these exhibitions, and through visual art, will find new ways to explore and imagine a brighter future for all of us.
How did the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 affect the gallery and how have you adjusted?
Although the restrictions imposed resulted in us having to temporarily close our physical gallery spaces, we decided to focus our energy on developing new ‘virtual’ exhibition spaces to promote the artists we support. Using platforms like Artsy and our social media channels, such as Instagram and Facebook, we created new digital galleries, allowing us to celebrate works by emerging artists through virtual presentations and expanding our reach to audiences around the world in new, exciting ways.
